On August 3, 2014 around 4:40 a.m., police officers from West Whiteland Township, Pa., found a man sitting in a car in the middle of the road. He reportedly had a large stash of heroin and other paraphernalia in the car with him.

Underneath the driver's side door they found something heartbreaking -- a tiny black kitten. He'd been tied there by a rope around his neck. His face was bloody, his teeth were broken, and evidence suggests he'd been dragged or slammed to the ground -- or both. Worst of all, as it turned out, the weeks-old kitten had been injected with heroin.

Fortunately, a quick-thinking veterinarian was able to save the kitten, now named Hope. What remains is to prosecute the man police have arrested and believe is responsible.

Please sign this petition asking Chester County, Pa., District Attorney Tom Hogan to prosecute this case to the fullest extent possible.

Those who have signed this petition, like many other members of the public, were distressed and saddened to learn about the recent incident in West Whiteland Township, Pa., in which a helpless young kitten was reportedly injected with heroin, beaten, and almost strangled with rope.

We applaud the fact that a charge of animal cruelty has been levied against the man allegedly responsible. We're also glad to see news reports that quote you as calling this a "singularly depraved act." We agree, which is why we submit our signature to this petition to urge you to pursue the maximum punishment available in Pennsylvania for this crime.

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